


Limerence

by MsInefable



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Explicit Language, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friendship, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Tommy only has eyes for her, True Love, idiot in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-10-24 06:16:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17699195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsInefable/pseuds/MsInefable
Summary: She did what no one else could: make him feel alive.





	1. Birmingham.

Eirin couldn't sleep.

People believe that with the passing of time bad memories turn into a meaningless dark form that you eventually forget. But, unfortunately, that wasn't true, at least not in her case.She had lost count of how often she had woken up in the last few nights, reliving the same images in her head. And though she tries to be positive and think that at any moment what happened that day will be forgotten, Eirin knows that it will hardly be like that.

From the roofs of the huge house, she looked attentively at the sprawling garden surrounding the property. Silence and loneliness had become one of the very few things that comforted her lately; at least when she was alone she didn't have to pretend to feel good when that clearly wasn't the case. Every night since she had arrived at the place that would be her new home for the next couple of months, Eirin found herself in the same spot. She tried desperately to relax and not think, but when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, she realized that she had company.

"If Mom catches you up here, she’ll have your head."

Jamie Brennan, her older brother, always had the ability to know where she was at any moment. As a child, when she disappeared because of a game or a tantrum, he was the only one who could find her.And although many things had changed over the years, worrying about his little sister was not one of them.

"Another nightmare?”

Sighing, the brunette with the tired eyes looked at the figure that sat beside her before she spoke.

"There was so much blood, Jamie. I couldn't even see his face" She felt tears fill her eyes and stopped talking.

"It wasn't your fault, Eirin, it wasn't. You have to stop blaming yourself, no one else does… just you."

When she heard her brother's words, the petite girl laughed.

"You know perfectly well that's not true. Mom can't even look at me" She fought to control the sudden shaking of her hands, placing them onto her lap under his attentive and sad gaze. "I don't even know why you brought me with you. Both of you would be much better off without me.”

“Stop!" the anger was evident in his voice, but that didn’t deter Eirin.

"Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to spend every day with a person I know I destroyed?" Suddenly aware that she gone too far, she tried to calm down. "You know what? Forget it, Jamie. It doesn't matter.”

“Don't say it doesn't matter when it clearly does. You know you can tell me anything, love. I’ll always care about you, I'll always want to help you.” He looked at his sister, overtaken by guilt and the confusion she’d felt for the past two years and went on.

“The thing is, you don't have to, yeah? I really appreciate what you’re saying but if you really want to help me, let's just talk about something else.”

Trying not to feel offended, Jamie nodded and stared at her for a while until he knew exactly what to say to lift her spirits.

“Do you still want to work and earn your own money? You've always said that you want to be an independent woman” When he saw that he had caught the girl's attention, he smiled and teased her a little in an attempt to make her laugh. “Besides, if you get a job, you can spend time away from David.”

Chuckling at the last thing he said, Eirin agreed. She couldn't deny that the idea of working attracted her. Not to mention that she would also be, as her brother had just said, not seeing the youngest son of their neighbors, who had been stalking her since the day they moved into the neighborhood.

“Yesterday I saw some employment listings in the paper. We could go to the city tomorrow and once there, see if I have any luck and someone hires me.”

“In the hospital they’re understaffed” He noted, ignoring the look of frustration that the brunette gave him, he continued. “You studied nursing, Eirin. I spoke to a bloke who works there and he said that with your skills, you’d have n trouble finding a position straight away.”

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure they'd love to hire an 18-year-old nurse who hasn't worked as one in her entire life.” she replied sarcastically as she got up and began to climb back through one of the windows of her room. “An independent woman is one who chooses her own job and not the one her older brother wants her to choose, Jamie.”

“Are you sure you won't give it a chance? You could work with me, help me with my patients.”

“I think we both remember what happened the last time I helped you with one of your patients," she replied, closing the window with a bang and leaving him alone with a bitter taste in his mouth and a series of memories playing in his head.

Jamie remembered, of course he did. And it would be a lie if he said that he didn't pray every night wishing he could forget.

 

➴➶➴

 

The first thing Grace Burgess noticed when she watched the stunning, petite girl enter the Garrison was how absolutely and completely out of place she looked. Dressed in a simple white dress with her light brown hair resting on her shoulders, Eirin stood out in the room like a diamond in a bucket of cloves. She was too pure, too good, and Harry, the owner of the pub, soon realized the same thing.

“Need help?” he asked nicely walking away from Grace and approaching the figure blocking the exit.

Nervously Eirin shifted her gaze between the two people staring at her. She tried to smile, struggling to find the courage to speak up.

“I saw an advertisement in yesterday's newspaper that says you are looking for waitresses," she replied, shaking the paper in her hands toward the proprietor. "I was wondering if you are still looking or if you have already hired someone."

Looking her up and down several times, Harry clicked his tongue.

“We're still looking, love, but I'm afraid I don't think you’re the right type for a job in a place like this.”

Eirin lost all hope in an instant. That was the same excuse she was given in the other four places she applied for a job. And while she knew she was young and inexperienced, this time she wasn't going to leave again empty-handed without at least knowing why they didn't want to hire her. She wanted a job, and not the one at the hospital where she felt she didn’t belong. Eirin Would be damned before she went back to Jamie, admitting failure and having to settle for a position at Selly Oak Hospital instead of finding a job of her choosing without his help.

“And may I ask why I’m not acceptable?”

Sighing, Harry pointed at her with an uncomfortable expression.

“You're too pretty," he explained as Grace nodded in agreement from where she stood Eirin frowned as to why the handsome barmaid was in agreement with her boss. Clearly the blonde polishing glasses was equally as pretty as she was… and she had found employment here.“It wouldn’t be safe for you to work here. At any moment something could happen to you simply because of the way you look."

The brunette kept silent because, although it bothered her to admit it, he had a point. Several times that morning she had to run from the comments and lascivious eyes that men on the streets gave her. But she wasn't going to give up, at least not so easily. 

"She's pretty too, and she works here" Eirin’s slim fingers gestured to the woman behind the counter and Harry, knowing who she was referring to, nodded.

"Yes, she does, but -and don't get me wrong Grace- you’re much prettier than she is, and there have already been times when they've pounced at her, I don't even want to imagine what they’ll do if they see you."

Tears of frustration began to form in her eyes as Eirin became aware that, even if she didn't want to, she would have to end up working at the hospital with her brother. Her fleeting, brief freedom slipped from her fingers without the ability to do anything to avoid it, and it hurt, so badly. She was a woman who couldn't get a job without being under the wing and protection of a man for fear of being hurt.

Grace, who had been watching her in silence, felt something inside her move. She had also been rejected many times throughout her life for the way she looked and for not having a penis. Grace knew and was aware that she was in the city for a reason. It would be foolish to distract even a small amount of attention from her goal and bond with other people, but she stepped forward anyhow and began to talk.

"Harry, how about giving her a week's trial? I can teach her how it all works, we’ll take care of each other in case anything happens" Unable to believe what she heard, Eirin gawked at Grace. No one but her family had ever stood up for her, not when they would possibly end up in a tricky spot for doing it.

They both counted the seconds Harry spent in silence watching them and making a decision until, unexpectedly, he sighed in defeat and nodded.

"One week, ey? If I see that you’re not safe here, I’ll have to fire you, understood?" Without waiting for an answer, Harry grabbed the broom and went to the clean up around the tables at the back of the room.

Eirin’s heart began to thump wildly. She had made it! She had done it! Quickly approaching the woman who had helped her, the young brunette could barely contain herself and embraced the barmaid as a gesture of gratitude.

“Thank youever so very much.”

With a small smile due to the euphoria of the girl, Grace nodded and returned the hug.

“Just don't get too far away from me the first few days. “

 

➴➶➴

 

The Garrison was crowded that day. Since they had opened a few hours ago, the number of people occupying the counter and the tables scattered about the pub was almost impossible to count. But rather than worrying or overwhelming Eirin, Grace and Harry eased her into the routine. More people meant more work and more work meant less time to think how her mother got worse every single day. No matter how hard she and her brother tried, she never showed signs of recovery and became even more withdrawn. They were slowly losing the person who had raised them, if there was anything left of that person at all.

Eirin tried to refocus on what she was doing and not to be disgusted when she noticed the look that some men threw at her as she brought a round to a particularly rowdy group at a table in near the doors. It was something she had to get used to, even if she didn't quite know how she would do it.

"Is it always this busy in the daytime?" she asked as she picked up the coins that a young drunkard gave her.

Harry, beckoning Grace to fill one of the empty barrels, quickly approached his new barmaid in case she needed help.

"Not usually, these boys are on their way to St. Andrews," he explained, grasping the money she offered him.

"To pray?" The question made him and Grace laugh loudly. No one could deny that her tenderness and innocence were sometimes endearing.

"That'll be the day!

"St. Andrews is a football field," Grace whispered to her, grabbing one barrel and starting to move away to the back of the pub. “From what I hear, the Blues are going to play.”

Harry, who despite still serving tables was still attentive to the conversation, nodded. 

"Those are the strikers and that's the goalkeeper back there, believe it or not," he said before moving away again.

With Grace in the pantry looking for more beer and Harry at the other side of the room, Eirin found herself alone for the first time since she had started her shift, she struggled to serve the men crowding in front of her as quickly as possible. But her purpose was quickly interrupted by a noice close by.

Turning swiftly, the girl found herself under the intense gaze of one of the most attractive men she had ever seen. Although he was shorter and slighter than some of the men in the room, the way he carried himself made him seem like the tallest man in the room. However, it was his face, his handsome face, that kept her fascinated. With his angular cheekbones, plush lips, and mermerizing, crystalline blue eyes, Eirin considered that she had never seen someone who looked quite like him.

He, meanwhile, was also speechless from the moment he laid eyes on her. The petite girl in front of him had such pale and striking green eyes that, even if he wanted to, he could not have looked away from them.Her graceful, delicate face resembled that of one of the dolls his sister Ada used to play with. And the way she looked at him, as if she could see through his soul, made him nervous for the first time in months. Soon, when he remembered who he was, where he was, and what he had gone to do there, he tried to ignore his racing heart and cleared his throat before he finally spoke up.

"I need a bottle of rum” His voice was thick and deep. It gave Eirin a chill all over her body and all she could do was nod as Harry rushed to her side.

“Eirin, love, whatever it is, it’s on the house," he whispered quickly.

Eirin lifted two bottles in her hands, making him finally look at her again.

"White or dark rum?"

"Don't care" he answered, studying her curiously. “I've never seen you before. How long have you worked here?

"The whole bottle?” Eirin ignored what he asked and shook the bottles.

"Yeah" Picking up the bottle that she was offering him, he arched his eyebrows, waiting for an answer to the question, but when he realized that she had no intention of speaking again, he asked a second one. “Are you a whore?”

Hearing his words all eyes in the room quickly turned to Eirin. As she heard the laughs of the men she was mortified for a moment and didn't know how to respond. As a woman she had endured constant out-of-place comments since an early age, but no one had ever said anything like that to her.

 _So handsome and yet, so fucking asshole, What a waste._ She thought, upset at his lack of decency.

The man held out a couple of coins and cleared his throat conspicuously as he spoke again.

"If you're not a whore, you're in the wrong place.” When he saw the disconcerted look on her face, he continued. “What's your name?”

Still stunned into silence by what had just happened, Eirin decided to ignore him and went to put the other bottle back before leaving him alone, hoping he would catch the hint and leave. But, far from looking offended, the man bit the inside of his cheek trying to hide a smile caused by the beautiful and stubborn girl behind the bar.

“Besides charging for alcohol, do you expect men pay you to speak to them?”

Finally looking at him, an annoyed Eirin sighed before answering.

“Harry said earlier that whatever you wanted was on the house. So I find very funny that you talk to me about money when you're not even going to pay for your drink. Is that all, sir?” she asked, pointing at the bottle of rum she had given him before.

Trying not to chuckle, the handsome man smiled.

“Fair point. And yes, this will be all.”

Not wanting to answer him again, Eirin approached the window and, ignoring his amused look, closed it in his face with no hesitation. Harry and Grace, after watching the interaction between them, quickly moved up to her worried.

"Look, Eirin, you're a nice girl, but be careful. That’s Thomas Shelby, and the city is literally his. If he decides he wants you, there's nothing anybody could do about it. So in future encounters, try not to talk to him, and if you do, don't slam doors or windows in his face.”

At the sight of fear in the man's face, Eirin could not help but feel that perhaps because of her he would be in trouble. "Luckily for you, since he got back from France, Tommy doesn't want anybody at all. But just in case, steer clear of him.”

Her face remained serious as she tried to assimilate all the information, and after a brief silence, she nodded in agreement.

“Don’t worry, Harry. Keeping away from him won't be a problem.”

But Grace, who had seen the way Thomas looked at Eirin earlier, knew that no matter what the girl and Harry said, the last thing he was going to do was stay away from her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!  
> I've been wanting to write about Thomas and Peaky Blinders for a while now and I've finally done it. I hope you like this story as much as I do and that you let me know what you think.  
> I'm sorry if you see any mistakes. English is not my first language and I am trying to do my best.  
> I also want to thank the incredible Judy ( IrelandForever ) for offering to be my beta reader. She has helped me a lot without expecting anything in return and for that she will always have my thanks.


	2. Unwanted attention.

Although Eirin had entered the Garrison countless times since she started working there, yet rarely had she heard the resounding of so many voices in it. Men and women of all ages shouted at each other with the anguish reflected in their faces. For a brief moment, Eirin feel like she had gone back in time to the morning when many of the men in her family announced that they had enlisted to fight in France.

Ignoring the heads that turned to look at her as she crossed the room, Eirin tried to locate her boss for several minutes without success. All she was able to see near her were the frightened and beaten faces of the people around her.

“Those fucking Shelbys let them do this to us!” an old man who used to frequent the pub often raised his voice above the others while a heartbroken woman huddled against him trying to stop her sobs. “They've taken our children, parents and brothers because those bastards don't give a shit about us! What is the point of paying them to protect us if then they let the police do this to us?!”

Several men nodded and murmured in agreement.

“Do you know where the fuck they are? At the bloody fair!” shouted one of the blacksmiths Eirin used to talk to, raising the tension in the room considerably.

Confused and unaware, she watched in silence as the mob erupted and began to throw chairs and tables. The racked drowned out most of the screams and complaints except for a sharp, loud cry from the stairs that caught her attention.

Hidden under the steps, was a small boy of five years old with his hands covered in blood ,and a slightly older girl who was desperately trying to silence him.

Eirin, fixed her gaze on the boy's hands and felt her stomach turn as the memory of her own blood-filled extremities clearly appeared in her head. The image made breathing almost impossible for a moment, and soon, his sobs registered in her head and she recovered, ignoring the nausea that went through her.

When they saw her come near, children panicked and tried to leave. They knew from experience that those who normally approached them did not have good intentions. And Eirin, realizing what they were trying to do, sped up her pace, stopping them from slipping away. 

"Hey, easy, I'm not going to hurt any of you" she promised, slowly raising her empty hands and showing them to try to reassure them. "I just want to help you, I swear it.”

They both watched her with suspicion trying to decide if they could trust her or not.

“Did someone hurt you?”

Neither child showed signs of wanting to answer, so Eirin quickly changed the subject in a desperate attempt to get them out of there before a fight broke out. "Are you guys hungry? When was the last time you ate?”

At the mention of food, the boy suddenly stopped crying and Eirin knew that perhaps she could take them with her away from the chaos that was brewing if she offered them something to eat.

"I had a little brother of your age,” she said, ignoring the bile that threatened to flood her throat. The avalanche of memories that came with those words made her feel sick, but she tried to smile. "He loved biscuits, especially vanilla ones. Do you like them, too?”

The boy wiped his tears and shrugged his shoulders as the girl quickly started to speak.

"I haven't tried them."

"Really? I seem to remember that I kept a few in the store room.” At the sound of broken glass, she tried not to show how nervous she was really feeling. Pointing to the back room, she continued, "How about you join me there so I can give you a few ones while we wait for things to calm down a bit?"

As she offered her hands with another small smile, Eirin waited impatiently for them to take hold. And, realizing that the heated altercation around them was far from over, she nodded and forced the little boy to stand and follow.

Shielding both children from the thrusts of the crowd with her body, Eirin quickly took them to the storeroom, and closed the door, then began to look for some cloth. Like an automaton, she cleaned and checked the child's hands until she was sure that there was no deep wound and no possibility of future infection. Once that was done, Eirin sighed in relief before finally relaxing and collapsing against a pile of cigarette boxes.

The headache throbbing behind her eyes threatened to overpower her. She had never been able to handle stress well, especially if the well-being of children was at stake.

"Are you all right, miss?” Slowly rubbing her temples in a poor attempt to relieve the discomfort, she exhaled as she nodded.

"Yes, yes, don't worry,” she replied, still feeling the children's concerned eyes on her. She walked into one of the cupboards and took out a jar. "Here, they may seem a little hard, but I can assure you that they taste very good.”

Grabbing the biscuits the brunette offered them to the two children who immediately began to eat them. Eirin, frowned when she noticed how hungry the children seemed, but they did not look malnourished. Their clothes were clearly expensive, but they did not wear shoes and their hair was terribly tangled and dirty, so she could not be certain they were well taken care of.

"How long has it been since you’ve eaten?"

"Our father is a very busy man and sometimes he forgets the mealtimes" replied the little girl before she approached the jar that Eirin was holding and pulled out another handful of treats.

"Where is your father now?” the disapproval in her voice was remarkable and the small girl rushed to defend her parent.

"He would never have left us alone if he knew what the police were planning to do. He loves us very much. He will come looking for us very soon.”

"He tells us stories," added the youngest as if that fact was something admirable.

And Eirin, remembering for a brief moment the stories that her mother used to tell she and her siblings to make them fall asleep, could not help but forget what had made these little ones hide there and genuinely smile.

"You look like our mother."

"Really? If you tell me where she is, I could take you to her" she replied, not being convinced yet that their father was really going to come looking for them.

"She died. She used to tell the best stories. Dad tries, but it's not the same."

Feeling her headache suddenly gather strength, Eirin crouched down to where they both sat and squeezed their hands. Even though she was aware that she would most likely never see them again after today, Eirin could not help but feel the need to comfort and protect them. She knew how much it hurt to lose a loved one, and these children, in a certain sense, reminded her of whom she had sworn long ago to protect.

"I'm truly sorry, kids, really. I also lost people who were very important to me and I understand how much you miss her.” She sat down in front of them and continued, "If you like, I can tell you a story while we wait for your father."

"Can we be the main characters? I'm Katie and he's Sam. You can also be in the story. What’s your name?"

Smiling at their innocence and tenderness, the brunette rested her back on the wall that separated them from the chaos outside and pointed to herself before answering.

 

➴➶➴

 

She lost count of the hours that had passed since the events that happened in the morning. Shortly after she began telling stories to Katie and Sam, Harry and Grace finally appeared at the Garrison with a bunch of different excuses and a considerable nervousness. When they saw who Eirin was with, they became even more agitated, and as soon as they were able to clear the room of the angry people inside, they hastened to bring the children to the small private room in the pub without giving any explanation.

Eirin watched her boss's exhausted face for several minutes before approaching him.

“What the hell happened today, Harry?”

He looked at her with dark bags under his eyes, nodded and gestured for her to sit at one of the nearby tables.

"The police destroyed the pubs and ransacked over half of the city” he explained. “The Garrison is the only place they haven't touched. The people you saw this morning came here looking for answers.”

“But in my neighbourhood the police didn't do anything.”

At the sight of confusion in the pretty young woman's face, Harry could not help but laugh a little.

"You live in the rich part of Birmingham, love. They obviously didn't do anything. Things are different when you have money.” Pointing to the room in which he had previously brought the children, he spoke again. "They are John Shelby's children. If something had happened to them here, the Shelbys would have blown my head off, so thank you" He got up ready to continue cleaning up the place. “You've done enough for today, you can go home if you want.”

“Can I go and check on them before I go?” Seeing his indecision, she continued "I promise I'll just take a look.”

“All right, but do it quickly, okay? John will be here soon and the last thing you need is to catch the attention of another Shelby.”

Not giving any importance to his words, Eirin walked up to the room where Sam and Katie were. Since the morning that she had served a bottle of rum to the head of the Peaky Blinders, he had begun to come more often to the Garrison and each time he seemed to use various excuses to chat with her. To this day, she had followed the advice given by Harry and Grace and had not said more than a two words to the attractive, yet serious man in an attempt to make him lose the interest he had in her. Despite her clear lack of enthusiasm, he had only increased his determination.

As she quietly opened the door, Eirin was relieved when she saw the sleepy, relaxed faces of the children. On the table in front of them, a couple of empty plates and glasses showed that Grace had been ensuring that they were not lacking water or food.

Once she was satisfied that they were both well, she closed the door and turned to leave. But there, in front of her, was the man that Harry had just told her about.

John Shelby, though younger than Thomas, was just as handsome. His blue eyes, so similar and yet so different from his brother's, gazed at her with a blend of surprise and roguery that made him look much more young than he really was. And when Eirin noticed the expression of pure horror on the face of her boss, who was watching them from the counter, she had to bite hard on the inside of her cheeks trying not to laugh.

"Are you the girl who took care of my children this morning?"

She nodded and she grabbed her purse and coat from a rack.

“The Peaky Blinders are beholden to you” his face, once relaxed, was completely serious now. “If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask.”

Eirin, opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by the sound of fast footsteps and shouts of joy.

 "Dad, you're back!" Katie and Sam's little arms embraced their father's high legs tightly, and the brunette couldn't resist smiling as he crouched down to give them a hug.

“Aunt Polly was very worried about you two. Never leave home again without telling anyone first, aye?”

Suddenly feeling like an intruder in their family moment, Eirin finished fastening the coat she had been putting on and went to the exit of the pub after saying goodbye with a gesture to Grace and Harry. But before she could grab the doorknob of one of the doors, a small hand stopped her.

"Can she be our new mommy?" Sam asked, taking her wrist between his little hands as he looked at his father with expectant eyes.

John, to his credit, swiftly hid his shock and tried to get his son to release the stunning girl who stood there speechless.

"Samuel, come here, you're bothering the lady” Eirin decided to act, noticing that the boy was not releasing her, but it seemed that he was about to start crying.

She grabbed his hands between one of her own and smiled warmly at him.

"I can't be your mom, Sam, but I can be your friend and tell you all the stories you want, would you like that?”

John, seeing incredulously and captivated the tenderness which the girl treated her son, could not help but smile softly.

And Harry, who watched the interaction on the other side of the room, knew that the young girl, whether she knew it or not, had managed to get the attention of another of the Shelby brothers.

He quietly asked, ”Be honest, Grace, do you think I'm a jinx?”

 

➴➶➴

 

Although the cold air made the arrival of winter obvious and the sky was full of grey clouds, Eirin's mood automatically brightened when she was outside. It was mid-afternoon, which meant that most people were still working and she could go home relatively calmly.

Normally she used to walk along the main roads leading to the hospital and, once there, she waited for her brother to finish his shift so they could leave together. But that day, when she saw how many people were crowded in front of the doors of the medical centre waiting to be seen, she decided that it would be better to go ahead on her own.

Turning an alley, she saw in the distance the cobblestone road that led to one of the blocks close to her house. Slowing down a little, Eirin decided to take a little detour. She never had the time or the desire to explore the city, because when she wasn't working she was terribly tired, but now it was time to change that.

Birmingham was not exactly a place of culture and beauty. Factories abounded in the streets like grass abounds in the fields and, at every few metres, piles of rubble and materials piled up on the sidewalks. But it wasn't all bad. Although soot and smoke were scattered almost everywhere, small shops and stores with flower-filled counters and beautiful clothes were scattered throughout the area giving it a little colour and attractiveness. Cafeterias, a few museums and even a cinema were found as she left the center of the city and soon Eirin decided that she had seen enough and that it was time to finally go home.

Snuggling into her coat to protect herself from the freezing wind blowing against her skin, she finally headed for the streets leading to her neighbourhood feeling relaxed and content, a feeling that, unfortunately, did not last long.

There, resting next to a lamppost was David Smith, the youngest son of the family living in the manor in front of her family' s house. He, wearing his police uniform, carelessly held a gun in his hands, and Eirin could not help but feel a chill running down her back.

"What a pleasant surprise, doll!" Trying not to show the disgust that both he and that affectionate appellation caused her, she faked a smile. "Isn't your shift supposed to end at nine o'clock? What are you doing here? Normally you usually come through the streets that surround the church or those that cross the dock.”

The fact that he knew her schedule and routines caused the smile to fade quickly from her face. She had known that David had a certain interest in her, that he had even asked her brother if she was single and that he had started to frequent the places where she often went. But she had no idea that his fixation had grown to the point of knowing what she would be doing at a certain time at any given moment.

“I left earlier.”

“I see. What a coincidence that we encountered each other here, right?” He approached her and grinned. "It is almost as if destiny wanted to tell us something. Have you thought about what I suggested to you the other day?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh come on, don't tell me you don't remember!” Ignoring her uncomfortable expression, he further closed the distance between them and grabbed her by the sleeve of her coat, thus stopping her from going backwards. “I told you I'd take you to watch Charles Chaplin's new movie.All you have to do is tell me what day suits you.”

Noticing how empty the street was and how fast it was getting dark, Eirin bit hard on the inside of her cheeks trying not to allow the anxiety she was suddenly feeling to control her. She had told him that she could not go to the cinema with him more times than she could count and the excuses were beginning to run out.

"Has the cat got your tongue?"

Faking a laugh, Eirin pushed him playfully and finally put some distance between them.

“I've already told you that going to the pictures is not my thing, David, I'm very flattered, but I sincerely think you should invite someone else.”

The man blinked in surprise and deeply offended.

"I'm beginning to think that you don't want to go out with me" one of his wide hands grabbed the handle of the gun and Eirin felt a lump forming in her throat when he saw it.

“Don’t take it personally. I don't want to go out with anyone at the moment.”

At her words, David's eyes burned with anger and spite, and the hand that held her reached up to her head, dragging her hair tightly, causing the girl to release a little cry of pain.

“I'm starting to get tired of you acting like a cock-teaser, doll. You walk around with your pretty face and your lovely dresses drawing attention and then you have the shamelessness to reject and belittle those who take an interest in you” Despite Eirin's efforts to escape, he started to drag her into the bushes after making sure no one was around. “You think you're very decent with your shitty job, the rich little girl who wants to earn her own money. You are an embarrassment to your family. Haven’t you ever heard that a good woman doesn't work? Your duty is to take care of your house.”

Feeling the tears of helplessness she had tried to hold fall down her cheeks, the girl tried to scream and call for help, but David, smashing one of his hands over her mouth, impeded it.

“You should be honored that a man like me noticed you.” He threw Eirin to the ground and quickly climbed on top of her. “You've brought this on yourself, you know? A woman alone in the street is like an open door screaming for someone to come in.”

His legs firmly fixed her to the grass and with his free hand he began to open her coat. His fingers, thick and short, were tearing off each button they found and his face, expressing lust, pressed against hers as he placed careless, wet kisses on her neck. No matter how much she resisted and how much she tried to get rid of him, he was stronger and bigger than her. And when Eirin felt the skirt of her dress go up to her stomach and her panties go down to her knees, she was overwhelmed by the shock she was feeling and stopped fighting.

There had been moments in her life where she had given up, moments when all her options were taken and all she could do was wait for it all to end. The first was the day she was told that her father had died; the second, was the day her 4-year-old brother bled to death in her mother's arms; and the third, she was sure, would be today, the day when a fucking maniac raped her and then, probably, killed her later.

“Now, doll, I am going to turn you into a real wom-“ But before he could finish his phrase, his body was removed from hers by a brutal pull and Eirin, completely and totally stunned, watched how the man that everyone had been warning her for weeks to stay away from was saving her from the one who was supposed to protect her because of his work.


End file.
